January, 2014 NTHMP

Warning Coordination Subcommittee Meeting

Agenda • Introductions • 2013-Action Item Review • EAS Activation for Advisories – Update • TWC Products • Post-warning survey • Exercises • WCS Strategic Plan Tasks • TWS training • TWC IT Mod. • Meteotsunamis • USCG • PR/VI Procedures • New Action Items

Action Item Review

EAS Activation for Advisories

Tsunami Products

• International and PTWC Domestic Products • Translating threat to EMOs • WFO Auto-activation of EAS • NOAA Social Sci. Recs. • Complex Coastline Team Recs. • Spanish Messages • Forecast Point update

PTWC Product Update

PTWC International and Domestic Products Update

Charles S. McCreery Director, Pacific Tsunami Warning Center

January 28, 2014

National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program Annual Meeting, January 28-31, 2014, Menlo Park, CA

Upcoming Product Changes • New Domestic Product for American Samoa March 2014 • New Domestic Product for Guam and CNMI August 2014 • Enhanced International Product for the PTWS October 2014 • Revised Domestic Product for Hawaii Late-2014 • Enhanced International Products for the CARIBE-EWS Mid-2015

Why a Domestic Am. Samoa Product?

• American Samoa is currently covered by PTWC’s international product for the PTWS, but

• The September 2009 Samoa tsunami disaster demonstrated a need for a special product for American Samoa with more customized information

• The enhanced products for the PTWS coming in October 2014 will no longer provide alert levels, only a forecast of expected tsunami amplitudes

Challenges with an Am. Samoa Product Evaluating the Local Tsunami Threat • Sparse seismic data – no stations in Am. Samoa • Sparse sea level network • Complex local tsunami threat with curving subduction zone

– no simple criteria for warning

Evaluating the Distant Tsunami Threat • Less density of seismic stations in the southern Pacific • Source zones far from denser continental networks • Fewer deep-ocean sea level gauges

Seismic stations monitored by PTWC

Apia, Samoa

Sea level stations monitored by PTWC

Pago Pago

Samoan Tsunami Hazard • Local Tsunamis (10-min lead time, largest

waves) – Northernmost Tonga Trench

• Regional Tsunamis (1-3 hours lead time) – Tonga – Fiji – Vanuatu

• Distant Tsunamis (several hours lead time but more potential sources) – Central America - South America – Marianas – Japan – Kuril – Kamchatka – Aleutian Islands - Alaska

Nearby Seismic Zones and Tsunami Travel Times to Samoa

Regional Seismic Zones and Tsunami Travel Times to Samoa

Pacific Seismic Zones and Tsunami Travel Times to Samoa

Warning Mw ≥ 7.1

Warning Mw ≥ 7.1 Advisory Mw ≥ 6.5

Warning Mw ≥ 7.1

Warning Mw ≥ 7.6

Warning Mw ≥ 7.6

Earthquake Magnitude (Mw) Necessary to Produce A Tsunami Amplitude ≥ 0.3m Anywhere in American Samoa

Earthquake Magnitude (Mw)

Earthquake Magnitude (Mw) Necessary to Produce A Tsunami Amplitude ≥ 1.0m Anywhere in American Samoa

Earthquake Magnitude (Mw)

Earthquake Magnitude (Mw) Necessary to Produce A Tsunami Amplitude ≥ 3.0m Anywhere in American Samoa

Earthquake Magnitude (Mw)

Benefits of a Domestic Product • 4 Levels of Alert

• Information – No Threat • Watch – Potential Threat • Advisory – Marine Threat • Warning – Inundation Threat

• Information on smaller non-threat “felt” events • Expected Arrival Times at many more locations around

American Samoa • Tailored Instructions for the Public • Potential to Subdivide Threat to Islands / Coasts • Easier to Accommodate Changes

Text Product Structure / Content

• Based upon Recommendations of NWS Tsunami Products Tiger Team and Social Science Study

• Aligned with NTWC Products • Section Headers with Bulleted Content

• AUDIENCE • EVALUATION • IMPACTS • RECOMMENDED ACTIONS • FORECASTS • OBSERVATIONS • PRELIMINARY EARTHQUAKE PARAMETERS • ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND NEXT UPDATE

Domestic Product for Guam/CNMI

• Expected Implementation in August 2014 • Similar Threats – Local, Regional, Distant • Similar Criteria and Procedures • Similar Format and Content

PTWC Enhanced International Product for the PTWS

• Implementation in 4th quarter of 2014 • Advice provided to countries of the UNESCO/IOC Pacific

Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System • Covers the Pacific Ocean and Marginal Seas • Forecast Amplitudes replace Watch/Warning Alert Levels • Includes Text and Graphical Products

• Standard WMO Text Product • 3 Maps • Table of forecast statistics • Kml file

Thank You

PTWC/ITIC American Samoa Outreach Visit January 23-26, 2012

Translating Threat to EMOs

TO

Translating Threat to EMOs • Should these two cases have the same alert

level?

Translating Threat to EMOs

• Need way to better translate threat to EMOs – New level of alert?

• <.3m – No danger • .3m-1m – Advisory • 1m-3m – Warning • >3m – Major Warning???

– No Alert level? • Other Ideas?

– Refine impact response – Refine spatial response

Translating Threat to EMOs

• Action: – Related to Complex Coast Team mission – Dependent on advances through super computer

center – Assuming the products shown today are available

a few years down the line, how do we want alerts delivered?

– Task Team???

NWR/EAS Activation at WFOs

NOAA Social Science Study

• Recommendations to improve TWC products

Recommendations for Tsunami Warning Center Message Products

Chris E. Gregg East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN USA

Annual NTHMP Meeting, Warning Coordination Subcommittee Meeting, USGS Western Region, Menlo Park, CA

January 29, 2013

Funding: NWS Award: NA10NWS4670015

NWS Project Goal & Objectives Goal: • Use social science to improve TWC message products

Objectives: A. evaluate current warning products using focus

group input (2011) B. develop a tsunami Warning Message Metric

(WMM) from the warning systems literature (2012) C. revise prototype messages (2012-2014)

Current Work 1-2 Current Work: • working with NTWC & PTWC to agree on message:

– format, content & specificity

• domestic messages only

Current Work 2-2 Synthesizing messages across TWCs involves:

1. agreement on standard format/structure for • Section Headers • Forecasts & Observations of Tsunami Activity

2. Content and specificity of: • Impacts and Recommended Actions • Additional information and next updates

3. Tailored versus regional territorial products • Tailoring is good (adds to personalization and belief) • but still requires consistency • e.g., for Hawaii: Rec Actions = refer to the Hawaii telephone book for

emergency information… 4. Evaluation of text only messages as appropriate for text to speech 5. Consistency in growing Translations

Current Message Prototype Structure

* Updates and “Observed” only for 2nd and later messages ** provide forecast arrival times in Message Number 1? *** when does it cease to be Preliminary? Add language about uncertainty, esp. M >7.9?

Description New Message Prototype Headers

1. Standard WMO Header Audience and Message Number Source Time/Date stamp message header …Tsunami Warning Now in Effect…

2. Standard Audience

3. Standard (BLUF: Bottom Line Up Front)

Update * Evaluation

4. Standard, but specific Impacts Recommended Actions

5. Forecasted * Forecasts of Tsunami Activity 6. Observed ** Observations of Tsunami Activity

Preliminary *** Earthquake Parameters

7. Standard Additional Information and Next Update

Some Current Specific Changes 1-3

• Clearly distinguished differences in Impacts & Recommended Actions for alert areas: 1. Tsunami Advisory Areas 2. Tsunami Warning Areas 3. Both Tsunami Warning and Tsunami Advisory Areas

• Need to consider for Watch and Both Watch and Advisory Areas? – e.g., PTWC language for Watch area: “prepare in case

upgraded to Advisory”

Some Current Specific Changes 2-3 • Reporting of “Forecasted” and “Observed” wave heights

(content & format) 1. First message(s)……Forecasted only because no Observations

available 2. Middle messages……Forecasted and Observed (?) 3. Last message…..Observed only?

• for 2 & 3, specify reason(s) why Forecasted and Observed Heights may be different. – e.g., the locations may be different

• Report Forecasts of tsunami Activity as: 1. a range 2-10 ft 2. rather than: 6 ft (+- 4 ft) 3. ft and m?

Some Current Specific Changes- 3-3 • Evaluation:

– THE FOLLOWING WARNING/ADVISORY AREAS ARE IDENTIFIED BECAUSE AN EARTHQUAKE WITH A PRELIMINARY MAGNITUDE OF 7.7 OCCURRED NEAR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AT 0903 PST ON FEBRUARY 03 2013.

• Observations of Tsunami Activity • THE PRESENCE OF A TSUNAMI IS BASED ON THE FOLLOWING OBSERVATIONS OF TSUNAMI

WAVES ? • Or stronger: WE KNOW A TSUNAMI HAS OCCURRED BASED UPON THE FOLLOWING

OBSERVATIONS OF TSUNAMI ACTIVITY – Must balance this language in time with main stream media and informal reports of tsunami (video

and photo, blogs…)

• Additional Information and Next Update : – BE ALERT TO AND FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS FROM YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY

OFFICIALS BECAUSE THEY MAY HAVE MORE DETAILED OR SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR YOUR LOCATION.

– Added language about

Complex coast team update

John Schelling (Washington EM), Paul Whitmore (NTWC), cindi preller (TPM AR), Erv Petty (Alaska EM), Sam Albanese (WCM

Anchorage), Joel Curtis (WCM Juneau), Teron Moore (BC), Anne McCarthy (BC weather), Ted Beuhner (WCM Seattle)

outliers: Tyree Wilde (WCM Portland), Althea Rizzo (Oregon

EM), Jeff Lorens (WR), Kevin Miller (CA EM)

Breakpoints in water bodies Breakpoints in centers of population Breakpoints on international and state borders Differences in notification levels and who hears it Where does the outer vs. inner water bodies start / end Inside side water north vs. south Education for over-warning EAS activation FIPS codes

Complex coast team update

• Next steps…

Spanish Messages

• Convert from Experimental to Production? • Extend to Pacific? BOLETIN INFORMATIVO SISMICO DE TSUNAMI ESPANOL NWS WEST COAST/ALASKA TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER PALMER AK 650 PM AST MON JUN 3 2013

...ESTE ES UN BOLETIN INFORMATIVO DE TSUNAMI...

EVALUACION ---------- * HA OCURRIDO UN TERREMOTO - NO HAY PELIGRO DE TSUNAMI.

PARAMETROS PRELIMINARES DEL TERREMOTO ------------------------------------- * MAGNITUD 4.4 * TIEMPO ORIGEN 1844 EDT JUN 03 2013 1844 AST JUN 03 2013 1744 CDT JUN 03 2013 2244 UTC JUN 03 2013 * COORDENADAS 19.1 NORTE 67.3 OESTE * PROFUNDIDAD 1 MILLAS * LOCALIZACION 65 MILLAS N DE MAYAGUEZ PUERTO RICO • 90 MILLAS NW DE SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO

Forecast point Update

• Based on input from last meeting, list of sites included in standard NTWC text messages increased as in Pacifex14 examples

• * ALASKA

• SAND POINT 1157 AKDT MAR 27 48 HRS 13.5FT+/- 4.0 11.6FT

• KODIAK 1213 AKDT MAR 27 24 HRS 3.2FT +/- 1.0 4.5FT

• UNALASKA 1215 AKDT MAR 27 20 HRS 2.3FT +/-0.7 1.4FT RENAMED

• COLD BAY 1232 AKDT MAR 27 20 HRS 2.4FT +/-0.7

• SEWARD 1239 AKDT MAR 27 15 HRS 2.0FT +/-0.6 3.2FT

• ADAK 1240 AKDT MAR 27 15 HRS 1.5FT +/-0.5 0.9FT

• ELFIN COVE 1240 AKDT MAR 27 15 HRS 1.5FT +/-0.5 1.3FT

• YAKUTAT 1248 AKDT MAR 27 20 HRS 2.3FT +/-0.7 1.7FT

• SITKA 1248 AKDT MAR 27 30 HRS 3.6FT +/-1.1 3.7FT

• VALDEZ 1258 AKDT MAR 27 12 HRS 1.2FT +/-0.4

• CORDOVA 1308 AKDT MAR 27 Less than 1 FT 0.9FT

• SHEMYA 1323 AKDT MAR 27 Less than 1 FT 0.3FT

• HOMER 1332 AKDT MAR 27 20 HRS 2.5FT +/-0.8

• SAINT PAUL 1333 AKDT MAR 27 Less than 1 FT

• CRAIG 1351 AKDT MAR 27 2.8FT NEW

•

• * BRITISH COLUMBIA

• LANGARA 1400 PDT MAR 27 20 HRS 1.3FT +/- 0.4

• TOFINO 1527 PDT MAR 27 20 HRS 2.6FT +/- 0.8

•

• * WASHINGTON

• NEAH BAY 1540 PDT MAR 27 20 HRS 1.6FT +/- 0.5

• LONG BEACH 1538 PDT MAR 27 24 HRS 3.5FT +/- 1.2 NEW

• MOCLIPS 1541 PDT MAR 27 30 HRS 4.0FT +/- 1.3 NEW

• WESTPORT 1556 PDT MAR 27 20 HRS 1.9FT +/- 0.6

• PORT ANGELES 1610 PDT MAR 27 20 HRS 1.3FT +/- 0.4 NEW

• PORT TOWNSEND 1637 PDT MAR 27 20 HRS 2.0FT +/- 0.6 NEW

•

• * OREGON

• PORT ORFORD 1542 PDT MAR 27 36 HRS 4.5FT +/- 1.4 4.9FT NEW

• CHARLESTON 1547 PDT MAR 27 20 HRS 2.2FT +/- 0.6

• SEASIDE 1548 PDT MAR 27 36 HRS 4.6FT +/- 1.4

• NEWPORT 1552 PDT MAR 27 36 HRS 4.8FT +/- 1.5 NEW

• BROOKINGS 1554 PDT MAR 27 30 HRS 4.2FT +/- 1.4 NEW

• Puget Sound left out

• * CALIFORNIA

• CRESCENT CITY 1606 PDT MAR 27 40 HRS 5.4FT +/- 1.6

• FORT BRAGG 1602 PDT MAR 27 24 HRS 3.1FT +/- 0.9 NEW

• MONTEREY 1632 PDT MAR 27 20 HRS 2.5FT +/- 0.8 NEW

• SAN FRANCISCO 1702 PDT MAR 27 20 HRS 2.4FT +/- 0.7

• PORT SAN LUIS 1656 PDT MAR 27 30 HRS 3.7FT +/- 1.1 NEW

• SANTA BARBARA 1718 PDT MAR 27 15 HRS 2.1FT +/- 0.6

• LOS ANGELES HARB 1735 PDT MAR 27 15 HRS 1.8FT +/- 0.5 RENAMED

• NEWPORT BEACH 1733 PDT MAR 27 15 HRS 1.6FT +/- 0.5 NEW

• LA JOLLA 1746 PDT MAR 27 20 HRS 2.8FT +/- 0.8

• OCEANSIDE 1738 PDT MAR 27 20 HRS 2.6FT +/- 0.8 NEW

Post-Warning Survey • Washington EMD has implemented survey –

Thanks John! • Link to survey

Exercises • CaribeWave14 – 1000UTC March 26, 2014 • Lantex14 – 1400UTC March 26, 2014 • Pacifex14 – 1850UTC March 27, 2014 • Alaska Shield – March 27, 2014

– Link to Plans • PacWave Plans • EAS/NWR Test Plans • 2015 Exercises

– Pacific – Wednesday March 25, 2015? – Atlantic – Wednesday March 25, 2015?

WCS Task Prioritization

TWS Training Opportunities • COMET courses

– Update? • ITIC/FEMA course

– Recent offerings • NTWC TWS training not offered last 2 years

– Start again? • TWC/ITIC remote visits? • Others?

TWS Training Opportunities

Course 2010 2011 2012 2013 Total Tsunamis 697 1825 1377 1539 5438 Tsunami Warning System

503 673 457 315 1948

Comm.Tsunami Prep.

993 1795 437 3225

Tsunami Strike! Pac

863 445 458 1766

Tsunami Strike! Carib.

1054 792 1846

Total 14223

TWC IT Mod. Project • Status

NWS Satisfaction Survey • Tsunami Warnings - ~28K samples

• Category 2012 2013 • Ease of Understanding 84 87

• Timeliness 87 91

• Accuracy 79 77

• Same overall rating (86) as Tornado Warning Satisfaction

• Hurricane Warnings received 88 in 2012 and 90 in 2013.

Meteotsunami Alerts • East Coast:

– 1992 Daytona Beach, FL – dozens injured – 2008 Boothbay, ME – some damage – 2013 East Coast – 2 injured, some damage

• NOAA Meteotsunami alert grant • Threat is historically greater than traditional

tsunamis for east coast • NESEC request: • …From an emergency management stand point, it is critical that we know a tsunami or

tsunami-like wave is coming, regardless of whether it is caused by an earthquake, landslide, weather event, or other phenomena…”

• …we are requesting that you consider enhancing and expanding WCATWC capability to report any tsunami or tsunami-like wave, regardless of cause…”

Meteotsunami Alerts June 13, 2013 Event

Meteotsunami Alerts June 13, 2013 Event

Meteotsunami Alerts June 13, 2013 Event

Meteotsunami Alerts June 13, 2013 Event

Meteotsunami Alerts • Brainstorming:

– How do we proceed? – MT Forecast Examples from Med. – What type of alert?

• Warning? • Advisory?...

– Based on what phenomena? • Weather forecast? • Observed air pressure? • Tsunami Observations?

– DART/Tide Gage/HF Radar

Inclusion of USCG in WCS

PR/VI Procedures • Present warning threshold 6.5

– Different than other similar tectonic regions • 6.4 event in 1/2014 ALMOST triggered

warning • Should PR/VI warning threshold be raised to

the level of other areas?

PR/VI Procedures • Background statistics:

– 0.75% of US/Canada events 6.5-7.0 trigger significant tsunamis historically (>0.5m)

– Worldwide since 1980, ~2% have triggered significant tsunamis in this mag. Range

• Higher apparently due to Indonesia stats. – In PR/VI AOR, since 1900 6 quakes have

occurred and none have triggered observable tsunamis.

• Raise threshold?

New Actions – EAS Activation for Advisories? – Products

• Action to better threat to response? • Implement Social Science recs.? • Complex Coast recs.? • Extend Spanish Messages?

– Establish date and scenario for 2015 Exercises – Prioritize Strat. Plan tasks? – Training? – Meteotsunami alerts? – USCG? – PR/VI Procedures?